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Secure Information Exchange Network Application (SIENA)

The Secure Information Exchange Network Application is a state-of-the-art platform that meets the communication needs of EU law enforcement.

The platform enables the swift and user-friendly exchange of operational and strategic crime-related information among:

Europol’s liaison officers, analysts and experts

Member States

third parties with which Europol has cooperation agreements.

SIENA ensures the secure exchange of sensitive and restricted information.

Since its launch on 1 July 2009, SIENA has facilitated communications within Europol. In 2010, the following entities and countries started using it:

EU law-enforcement agencies

cooperating partners such as Eurojust and Interpol

cooperating states outside the EU, such as Australia, Canada, Norway, Switzerland and the United States.

Access continues to be extended: in 2015, law-enforcement agencies in Liechtenstein and Moldova became the latest SIENA partners.

Extending access

In more recent years, access to SIENA has also been afforded to asset-recovery offices (AROs), which use it to exchange information about assets to be seized, frozen or confiscated in EU countries.

A tool was added to SIENA that allowed it to handle restricted content on counter terrorism. In response, counter terrorism units connected to the platform, thus enhancing the exchange of information and intelligence in this key area.

Europol’s Strategy for 2016-2020 calls for the further development of SIENA as the system of choice for the secure exchange and communication of law-enforcement information.

SIENA is key to making Europol the EU information hub on crime. It will bring Europol closer to the front line of law enforcement, particularly when it comes to promoting and enhancing the exchange of information on counter-terrorism.

Data Protection

SIENA is compliant with all the legal requirements for data protection and confidentiality.

Under a pilot programme agreed between Europol and the German Federal Criminal Police Office in 2015, SIENA is being rolled out to the central police offices in all federal states in Germany.

Future plans include rolling out the system to regional initiatives such as the following: